The Vigilant Guardian

Chapter Nine: The Rampaging Aunt

"I, I..."

The young girl's face turned crimson instantly, making her even more embarrassed in front of her family. Her beautiful almond eyes were glazed with tears, sparkling in the candlelight.

Although I prefer my sister, there's something quite satisfying about bullying this punch-crying little sister... Wei Wuji thought.

Xu Lingyue puffed her cheeks, defiantly raising her head to meet Wei Wuji's gaze. "I just want to know how big brother cracked the case from the documents."

Xu Xinnian, pretending to be invisible, could no longer keep up the act and silently raised his head.

He prided himself on being clever, having read the documents, but he was still clueless. Yet, the moment Wei Wuji asked him for the files, he solved the case instantly.

Aunt didn't say anything, but her chopsticks paused, no longer chewing her food.

"There's no perfect crime in this world. Besides coincidences, every human-made case leaves traces," Wei Wuji stated.

Xu Xinnian straightened his back, listening intently.

"First, I noticed an issue with the tax silver based on the transport route; the weight of the silver hinted at the problem..."

Wei Wuji explained his reasoning process.

The more Xu Xinnian listened, the brighter his eyes became, like a student receiving enlightenment from a teacher.

His hands, hidden under the table, tightened into fists.

When Wei Wuji finished, Xu Erlang maintained a calm facade. "Not bad."

Xu Erlang was known for his insincerity, and the family had long grown accustomed to it.

The sixteen-year-old pretty sister lowered her head, hiding the admiration in her eyes.

Xu Pingzhi excitedly slammed the table, cursing: "So that's how it is, I never noticed."

Xu Xinnian glanced at his father, thinking it was odd he hadn't noticed.

Wei Wuji looked at his uncle, recalling a saying: Unfortunately, I'm uneducated, and swearing is all I know.

His uncle was a rough man, only able to write his name, and even that was crooked like a chicken's claw.

"You roughneck, can't even weigh things properly?" Aunt mocked her husband.

Wei Wuji asked, "Did they wear gloves when counting the silver?"

Xu Erlang thought for a moment. "I think they did. How did you know?"

Was it really sodium metal? Wei Wuji looked at him pensively. "Why didn't the testimonies mention that?"

"It's just a trivial matter, what's there to say?" Xu Erlang grumbled. "It's all that Lu guy's fault for handing me a jar of osmanthus honey. You know my drinking capacity, I got carried away and didn't pay attention to anything else. I'd have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."

The worst thing is having teammates like you... If that detail had been in the documents, I could have analyzed the case faster, saving my brain cells... Wei Wuji sighed.

To his uncle, it was probably as inconsequential as what someone wore or how they styled their hair.

"Given this, that Lu guy mentioned by father is most likely the one who set him up," Xu Xinnian pointed out sharply.

"It's my fault for being foolish, almost ruining the whole family," Xu Pingzhi suddenly grew somber. "Ning Yan, back when your father and I fought side by side in the 'Battle of Shanhai,' we vowed to survive together and achieve greatness."